Electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems are often used to minimize theft. One common feature of these electronic systems aimed at minimizing theft is to attach a security tag to an article in an effort to detect an unauthorized removal thereof from a given area. In some applications, an alarm is generated in response to such electronic detection. For example, a security tag may be attached to an article offered for sale by a retail store, and an interrogating signal transmitted proximate the entrance and/or exit of the store. The interrogation signal causes an element (e.g. a magnetic element) of the security tag to produce a detectable response if an attempt is made to remove the article without first detaching the security tag therefrom. The EAS system is configured to detect this response, and generate an alarm (e.g., visual and or audible signal) in response thereto. In this way, the security tag must be detached from the article in order to prevent the alarm from being generated.
Various implementations of technological processes for security tags exist. For example, a security tag may take the form of a housing (e.g. a plastic body) which includes a tack or pin-like attachment means. A portion of the pin may be inserted through an article to be protected and engage with an aperture formed in the housing (e.g., via a clamping mechanism). A security tag may be removed or detached from the article using an external detachment means, such as a hand-held tool or counter-mounted device. Once the pin is released from the tag housing, the pin and tag housing may be removed from the article. Likewise, so called “smart security tags”, as referred to herein, include tags having a remotely-controllable internal locking mechanism as well as a means to receive one or more wireless control signals. A receiver and processing component arranged within the tag may be configured to generate a control signal for activating/deactivating a locking mechanism within the tag in response to the receipt of a valid code or PIN number associated with the particular security tag. In other embodiments, a security tag may not be fixedly attached to the article, but rather indirectly attached (e.g. via an adhesive) to another tag or label of the article. Rather than being physically removed, these passive tags may merely be deactivated by an EAS system during a checkout process such that an article and tag may be carried out of a retail store without triggering an alarm or alert. Security tags may also contain a radio frequency identification (RFID) element. The RFID element can be read by an RFID scanning device to obtain data therefrom.
While existing technological solutions of EAS systems and associated security tags help reduce theft, their implementation often causes undesirable delay. Current technological implementation requires customers to wait in lines to complete purchases, as the security tag must be removed from the purchased article so as not to trigger an EAS security alarm when leaving the store. A significant technical problem in the field involves how to enable a customer or user to remove a security tag in a self-checkout environment. Technical solutions that utilize smart security tags lack the ability to ensure that customers are only permitted to remove a particular security tag associated with or attached to an article or product that has been purchased (paid for), rather than that of a different (e.g. more expensive) article. This and other fraud-prevention tasks are typically carried manually by an agent (e.g. a retail associate/cashier) at the point of sale. Additional problems include the laborious and time consuming process of a store employee associating a particular security tag with a particular article prior to the article's placement on the sales floor. One current solution includes manually generating a database (e.g., at the time of tag attachment) identifying that a particular security tag is attached to a particular article or item, such that upon the later purchase of an article, a system having access to the database may indicate which security tag is permitted to be removed.
Accordingly, improvements to existing technological processes and systems for enabling the deactivation and/or detachment of security tags while improving anti-fraud provisions and minimizing labor and expense are desired.